Jamb structure

ABSTRACT

A JAMB STRUCTURE IS DISCLOSED WHICH INCLUDES AN ELONGATED, EXTRUDED CENTRAL CHANNEL HAVING PARTS WHICH ARE ADAPTED TO OVERLIE THE WIDTH OF AN OPENING AND TO COVER THE WALLS ADJACENT TO THE OPENING. HOLDING MEANS FOR &#34;SNAP&#34; CONNECTION TO TRIM CHANNELS ARE PROVIDED ON THE PARTS OF THE CENTRAL CHANNEL SO THAT SUCH TRIM CHANNELS MAY BE EASILY SECURED IN PLACE TO COVER FASTENINGS SECURING THE CENTRAL CHANNEL TO THE WALL CONTAINING THE OPENING.

United States Patent Oifice 3,609,928 Patented Oct. 5, 1971 3,609,928 JAMB STRUCTURE Donald E. Mock, Covina, Calif., assignor to Anjac Plastics, Inc., El Monte, Calif. Filed Oct. 13, 1969, Ser. No. 865,619 Int. Cl. E06b 1/04, 1 /02 U.S. Cl. 52210 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION For many years jamb structures such as are commonly used with doors but which are also used with other building openings have been manufactured of wood. More recently metal jamb structures have been employed in many difierent applications. It is considered that such prior jamb structures suiter from various limitations tending to make their use in current buildings undesirable.

Because of the nature of such prior jamb structures and the fact that there are many such structures it is considered impractical to detail all of the limitations and disadvantages of all of such prior structures. As a class such prior structures tend to be disadvantageous because of cost considerations. Such considerations involve not only the costs of appropriately creating the parts used in such structures but the costs of installing such structures. At the present the time required to install a jamb structure is significant from an economic standpoint.

Various prior jamb structures also tend to be comparatively heavy in weight. Although for many applications this is not significant it is significant in certain applications. As an example of this jamb structures are utilized in recreational vehicles such as trailers and campers. It is constantly desired to keep the weight of such vehicles as low as reasonably possible so as to improve their portability.

From these considerations it will be apparent that there is a need for new and improved jamb structures which can be manufactured at a comparatively nominal cost, which can be installed rapidly with a minimum amount of labor and which are comparatively light in weight.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A broad objective of the present invention is to provide new and improved jamb structures which meet this need. Related more detailed objectives of the invention are to provide jamb structures the parts of which can be manufactured at a comparatively nominal cost by present day plastic extrusion techniques; which can be easily and conveniently installed in a very short period by even comparatively unskilled labor; which are comparatively light in weight; which provide a neat, attractive appearance; and which are capable of giving prolonged, satisfactory performance.

These objectives are achieved by providing a jamb structure having an elongated extruded central channel which in turn has a center part adapted to extend across an opening such as a door opening, covering parts attached to the side edges of the central part so as to extend therefrom parallel to one another, said covering parts being adapted to overlie portions of the wall defining the opening, and holding means located on these parts for carrying a trim channel. With a structure of this invention the trim channels are used in such a manner as to cover fasteners employed to secure the central channel in place and to finish oif the entire jamb structure so that it has a neat, functional appearance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The invention is best more fully explained with refer ence to the accompanying drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view showing a complete door jamb in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view taken at line 2--2 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view taken at line 33 of FIG. 2.

The accompanying drawing is primarily intended to illustrate for explanatory purposes a presently preferred embodiment or form of a jamb structure of the present invention. From a consideration of this drawing and the remainder of this specification it will be realized how the invention achieves the various objectives and advantages indicatedin the preceding summary. It will also be realized that various design and similar changes may be made through the use of exercise of routine design skill, in the precise structure shown in achieving different jamb structures having the same advantages as the structure shown.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the drawing there is shown a complete jamb structure 10 of the present invention installed within an opening 12 such as a door opening in a wall 14. The particular wall 14 shown includes studs 16 which frame the opening 12 and wall members 18 such as plaster board sheets, plywood sheets or the like. These wall members 18 are attached to the studs 16 in any known manner.

The jamb structure 10 consists of vertically extending jambs 20 having mitered upper ends 22 between which there extends a header 24 having similar ends 22. For convenience of designation in the remainder of this specification the header 24 will be considered as a jamb 20 although technically this is incorrect terminology since a jamb should extend vertically so as to enclose the sides of an opening. The term jamb is at times used to designate a complete structure surrounding an opening so as to define it. The header 24 is in all respects identical to the jamb 20.

As shown in FIG. 2 the jamb 20 includes an elongated central channel 26 having a center part 30 which is adapted to overlie and extend between the sides of the wall 14 at the opening 12. This center part 30 is an elongated member having parallel edges 32. Correspondingly dimensioned covering parts 34 are preferably formed integrally with the center part 30 at the edges 32 so as to extend from the same side of the center part 30 parallel to one another. These covering parts 34 and the center part 30 are preferably flat so as to present a neat, square cut appearance and so that the covering parts 34 will fit adjacent to and against the wall members 18.

The center part 30 and the covering parts 34 carry what may be considered as holding means integrally formed with these parts. Each of the holding means used includes a first arm 36 having a bent over end 38 and a second arm 40 having a bent over end 42. These arms 36 and 40 extend the length of the channel 26 and in effect form a part of it. These arms 36 and 40 are located parallel to one another and are spaced apart. This spacing is preferably sufficient so that conventional fasteners 44 may be inserted between the arms 36 and 40 in order to secure the channel 26 in place to the stud 16 and the wall members 18. With the preferred construction of the present invention the parts 30 and 34 are sufliciently thin so that they may be easily permeated by staples used as the fasteners 44.

With this structure trim channels 46 can be easily connected to the channel 26 after this channel 26 is installed in place so as to cover the fasteners 44 used and so as to finish off the appearance of the jamb structure 40 to a neat configuration. The trim channels 46 used with the structure shown are all preferably identically formed. Each of these channels 46 has a first comparatively long terminal wall 48 provided with a hook like end 50 and a short second terminal wall 52 which is also provided with a hook like end 54. These walls 48 and 52 are connected with a central wall 56 which is preferably provided with a central bend 5,8 so as to have a wood molding type of appearance. It will be noted that the hook like ends 50 and 54 include sloping walls and perpendicularly extending walls of a shape more or less resembling a pointed barb. Since such walls are part of a common hook like shape they are not separately identified in the drawing.

This structure is designed so that the trim channels 46 may be located over the arms 36 and 40 and then may be snapped into place by merely being pushed towards these arms. During such movement the hook like ends 50 and 54 engage the bent over ends 38 and 42 so that some temporary deformation takes place in the arms 36 and 40 and the walls 48 and 52 until such time as the end 38 has cleared the end 50 and the end 42 has cleared the end 54. After these ends have passed one another the structure described will snap together so that the trim channels 46 are firmly secured in place.

In order to obtain this mode of operation it is necessary to form the central channel 26 and the trim channels 46 out of a self-supporting material. Preferably the material used in somewhat resilient so as to achieve the snapping action described. The channel 26 and the channels 46 may be easily formed out of known thermoplastic polymers having these physical properties at a comparatively nominal cost using present day plastic extrusion techniques. Materials such as ABS polymers may be satisfactorily employed.

In certain types of construction frequently an opening such as the opening 12 does not possess completely straight or completely parallel walls. The jamb structure may be formed so as to be used in this eventually by including in the central part 30 between the arms 36 and 40 on such part 30 various openings 60. Preferably these oplenings 60 are located at periodic, equally spaced interva s.

When they are employed spacer members 62 in the nature of wedges may be inserted through them so as to shim up the central channel 26 so that it extends in a desired path and a fastener such as a fastener 44 may be located so as to extend throuih any spacer member 62 used.

The particular spacer member 62 illustrated in FIG. 3 has a plurality of stepped shoulders 64 corresponding to various amounts of spacing frequently needed. With this structure the spacer members 62 will rest at the bottom of an opening 60 with one of the stepped shoulders 64 engaging the center part 30 so as to stay in place as the installation procedure involving the fasteners 44 is carried out. I

When the jamb structure 10 is used as described the trim channel 46 carried by the center part 30 serves as an effective door stop. Doors may be installed in a complete jamb structure 10 in accordance with conventional practice so as to abut against this particular trim channel 46. If desired, electrical conduit such as bell wire 66 may be run through a trim channel 46 so as to be secured in place. When this is done in effect the combination of the channels 26 and 46 serves as a. conduit for the wire carried in this manner.

I claim:

1. In combination:

a wall having parallel sides and an opening extending between said sides, said opening being defined by a wall extending transverse to said parallel sides,

a continuous, unitary jamb member having an elongated center part extending across said wall defining said opening between said sides of said wall,

said center part having parallel side edges located adjacent to the intersections of said parallel sides and said wall defining said opening,

said jamb member also having covering parts extending from each of said side edges or said center part,

said covering parts extending from the same side of said center part and being located parallel to one another,

said covering parts overlying and covering said sides of said wall, said center part and said covering parts extending the length of said jamb member,

identical holding means located on the surfaces of said center part and said covering parts which are remote from said wall,

each of said holding means extending the length of said jamb member,

each of said holding means comprising two parallel arms spaced from one another a sufficient distance so that fasteners may be located between said arms,

said arms being formed integrally with said jamb and being resilient so as to be capable of temporary deformation, each of said arms having a heated terminal end,

fastening means extending between the arms of each of said holding means,

said fastening means all extending through said jamb member into said wall so as to secure said jamb mem ber to said wall,

an identical trim channel held by each of said holding means,

said trim channels each having a center wall and supporting two integrally formed arms,

each of said arms having a hooked shaped extremity,

said trim channels being resilient and being located on said holding means so that said center walls extend so as to cover fastening means and so that the arms on said trim channels engage said arms on said holding means so as to secure said trim channels in place on said jamb member,

said trim channels extending the length of said jamb member,

said arms on said trim channels and said holding means being sufficiently resilient so that said trim channels can be snapped into place on said holding means.

2. The combination claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said center part of said jamb member has a plurality of spaced openings formed therein,

joining said openings extending through said center part and being positioned between the arms of said holding means on said center part,

a spacer member for shimming said jamb member to a desired position located so as to extend through one of said openings,

said spacer member having stepped shoulders, one of said shoulders of said spacer member engaging an edge of said one of said openings so as to be supported between said wall and said center part in order to position said center part relative to said wall.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6 Berrill 52214 Babcock 52122 Goldberg 49505 Borlenghi 49504 Bell 49-504 Brandt 49504 Von Wedel 52127 10 FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner L. A. BRAUN, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

